Matte About You

Matte About You

There’s been a ton of talk about the upcoming trend of matte nail polish shades and I think it’s awesome! I tried my first matte shade this summer with Essie’s Neon collection. As I watched my manicurist start to paint my nails with a hot electric pink shade, we both noticed at the same time that the color had zero sheen to it. It was cool to see it come out matte but I noticed it was looking way too streaky and I asked her to put a clear top coat over it. I guess you could say I wasn’t ready to rock the matte tips, nor did I trust that this particular manicurist could do a perfect job.

For the OPI and Essies matte collections out now, they’re offering consumers some tips on how to apply the shades properly. It’s definitely a little tricky, as these matte shades show nicks, scratches and other flaws a lot more than traditional polishes. Usually base coats act as a protective barrier, but they’re recommending not to use a base coat or top coat but to instead apply three coats to avoid the streaky look. I’m willing to take the risk and plan on heading to Newbury Street this week for my first matte look. Matte polishes are a true example of why make-up can be so much fun (jealous, men?!) – if you decide the look just isn’t for you, wipe it clean and start over!